Amazon goes after Chromecast with Fire TV Stick

Priced at $39 (but on sale for $19 over the next two days), the Fire TV Stick packs better hardware than the Google dongle: a dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of integrated storage, and dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi. It also comes with a remote, an optional game controller, and the same user interface as the e-tail giant's standalone Fire TV box. Amazon says you can use your phone as a remote with voice search, too, although unlike with the regular Fire TV, the bundled remote doesn't have voice input capabilities.

Amazon is taking pre-orders for the Fire TV Stick right away, and it expects to start shipments on November 19. As a "thank you to new and existing Prime members," the device is on sale for $19 until October 29 at 6:00 AM Pacific Time. Don't have an Amazon Prime account? Amazon says "eligible customers" get a free one-month Prime trial with the purchase of a Fire TV Stick—and the trial entitles them to the $20 discount.